puening



Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,346

- F. PUENING ART OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS Filed Feb. 11. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 8, 1929.

F. PUENENG ART OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS Filed Feb. 1].. 1922 4 Sheets- Sheet 2 F. PUENING Filed Feb. 11. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet ART OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS Jan. 8, 1929.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F. PUENING Filed Feb. 1'1. 1922 Jan. 8

ART OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS Ill ill

Patents .lan. 3, 1929.

FRANZ PUENING, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ART OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS.

Application filed February 11, 1922.

.L IllS invention relates to the art of distilling carbonaceous material, such as lignite, shale, prat or bituminous coal. An object of the invention is'to effect the distillation of such material at low temperatures, With a rapid trans'er ol' the distilling heat to the material being distilled, and Without any necessity for employing the expensive heat ing surfaces heretofore required because of the slow and ineiticient heat transfer of prior loW temperature distillation practice. The invention, therefore, provides an entirely s1 'islnetory low temperature distillation, and yet eliminates expensive retort constructions, with their attendant high cost of maintenance.

lu addition to the general objects recited above, the invention has for further objects such other improvements and advantages in operation and results as may be found to ob tain in the processes or apparatus hereinafter d "-ribed or claimed.

,1 the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and showing, for purpr g s ct ei-remplilication, one form of appari. or carrying out the improved low tempera .istillation of the present invention, but mthout limiting the claimed invention suieci'lically to such illustrative instance:

Figure l is a sectional elevation of appado for practicing low temperature .on or materials according to the present invention;

l igin'c 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the retort or distilling chamber;

liigure 3 is an ei'ilarged vicW partly in section oi? the ram tor pushing out the distilled material; and

l! igure l a transverse sectional View zen through the distilling chamber.

In its present embodiment, the invention is applied to the low temperature distillation ot bituminous coal, for producing coherent coke, such as is available for domestic heating purposes. For convenience, the ensuing description will be confined to this application of the invention. The novel features and improvements of the invention are, how ever, applicable to the distillation of other carbon: wee-us material, for example, to any of the other materials hcre'inabove mentioned; hence, the scope of the invention is not conlined to the specific use and specific embodiment herein described as an illustrative example.

Serial No. 535,791.

In carrying out the invention, there are employed, as the medium for el'leeting the transfer of the distilling heat to the material to be distilled, heating Walls of a substance of high enough heat conductivity to effect a rapid transfer of the distillingheat to the material, for example, bituminous coal. lit is preferable, however, to employ metal heating Walls, iron, in any one of its several forms, being especially suitable because of its great s Jecific Weight, its high heat conductivity, its good. Wearing qualities, its resistance to deterioration when subjected to rapid temperature changes and the influence of hot gases, and lastly, because of its cheapness. The in vention, however, is not limited to the employment of iron as the material for the heati ng Walls.

These heating Walls are first exposed to the action of hot gases to store in them the heat which is subsequently employed for effecting the distillation of the material. Any hot gases may be employed, provided that they are not oil such a nature as to readily injure the h ating walls. In any case, the temperature to Which the heating Walls may be heated is limited by the resistance or tendency of the material of which they are composed of oxidize or be otherwise impaired at high ten1- peratures. In case iron is employed, however, the Walls may be heated to a temperature of about 1400 F. in an atmosphere of well burned gases, *ithout unduly exposing the iron to deterioration.

With iron heating Walls heated to a surface tem 'ierature of 14:00 E, distillation of the coal may be ellected by bringing the coal into direct contact with such previously heated Walls. The coal to be distilled may be either at ordinary atmospheric tei'i'iperature, prior to the time of contact With the heating Walls, or may be preheated, if desired. At the moment of contact, coal quickly absorbs the peak of the heat stored in the surface of the walls and in the portions of such Walls justbelow its surface. The particles of the coal in contact with the heating Walls are thus rapidly heated, the heat penetrating into the interior of the coa During the heating up stage, a dry skin. of coke is formed on the coal, thereby permitting ready separation of Eli) lUG

the coal from the Walls at the completion of along with the approach of the coal and the heating walls into an equilibrium of temperature. In order to avoid an impractical slowing up of the heat transfer, after the initial rapid heat absorption by the coal, the weight of the heating walls, with respect to the coal being distilled, is regulated so that the storage capacity for heat of the walls is in excess of the heat required to bring the coal to the required final temperature. The final temperature varies, of course, with different coals and with the other materials available for treatment by the distillation process of the invention. For many of such materials, however, a satisfactory final temperature is approximately a thousand degrees F. and the process of low temperature distillation would be completed at that temperature. It requires about 400 B. t. u. per pound of material, in order to heat connnercial grades of bituminous coal to a final temperature of a thousand degrees F. In order to attain such a final temperature, a maximum temperature drop of the heating walls from 1 100 F. to a thousand degrees F. is available. Between 1400 F. and a thousand degrees F., iron, for example, has a specific heat of approximately 0.1 18. Therefore, (1400-1000) 0.1 18 o9 B. t. u. are freed for absorption by the coal, when one pound of iron drops from 1 100 F. to a thousand degrees F. Inasmuch as 400 B. t. u. are required for one pound of coal, 100 divided by 59 equals 6.77 pounds of iron which are required to furnish sullicient heat for elevating one pound of coal to a final temperature of approximately 1,000 F. In order to compensate for the slowing down of the heat transfer, as above explained, it preferable to employ approximately twice as much iron as the theoretical minimum, which would be approximately 14 pounds of iron for each pound of coal to be distilled.

By preheating the coal or drying it before bringing the coal into contact with the hot iron, the amount of heat required for the dis tillation process may be materially reduced. This would permit the process to be carrier on with a smaller quantity of iron. Even when preheating of the coal is employed, it is preferable to employ enough iron in order that the heat available for distillation be about twice the amount of the theoretical minimum.

Referring to the drawings: There is shown at 1 a distilling chamber having surrounding walls 2 formed of any suitable ielractory material. VVit-hin the chamber 1 are parallel vertical walls 3 suspended from horizontal water-cooled suspension bars 1. These walls may be each constructed of iron sections united by vertical rods 5 into the wall units, asshown. The heating gases for bringing the walls up to the required temperature enter the distilling chamber 1 through the mixing chambers 6 disposed on the opposite sides of chamber 1 and above the vertical walls 0 through the outlets 9.

As shown in Fig. 2 the spaced vertical walls 3 taper slightly towards the top and provide between them long, narrow vertical retorts 10 into which the material to be distilled is charged from the upper end of the chamber 1. The retorts widen somewhat at their bottoms to facilitate discharge of the material. A pair of swinging doors 11 mounted on horizontal axes 12 below the heating walls 3 and the intermediate retorts 10 retain the material in contact with said walls 3 during the distilling operation.

After the walls have been heated to the required temperature, the supply of hot gases to the mixing chamber 0 is cut off and the discharge outlets 9 leading to the stack are closed by operating the dampers 13. During the operation of heating up the walls 3 the doors 11 are swung to the open position indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 2. of the heating up operation the doors 11 are moved to the position for closing the bottoms of the retorts 10. Mounted above the distilling chamber is a truck 14; provided at one end with the pusher device 15, at the other end with a coal larry 16 and intermediate its ends with the retort cover and its operating mechanism 17. The retort cover is constituted of a horizontal plate 18 adapted to close the top of the distilling chan'iber 1. Said cover 18 is suspended from rods 19 the upper ends of which are pivoted to the lower arms 20 of bell cranks pivoted at 21 on standards 22 mounted on the truck 14:. The upper vertical arms 23 of said bell-cranks are provided with screw-threaded bearings 24 pivoted at 25. to the upper ends of said vertical arms. Work ing within the screw-threaded bearings 24 is a hand screw 26', which when operated in one direction will draw the vertical arms 23 together to lift the cover plate 18 from the distilling chamber 1, and, when operated in the opposite dir etion, will cause the vertical arms 23 to retract from each other to lower the cover 18 into position on the top of the distilling chamber 1.

After the walls 3 have been heat d up to the required temperature, the cover 18 is lifted from the top of the distilling chamber 1 and the truck 14 is moved to position the larry 16 above the distilling chamber. The larry 16 is provided with a plurality of coal hoppers 27 corresponding in number with the retorts 10 between the heating walls 3 and provided with dump bot-toms 28 for feeding the coal into the said retorts 10. It is preferable to pulverize the coal before permitting it to discharge into the retorts. When the retorts On completion have been filled with coal, the truck 14 is again shifted to position the cover 18 abovethe distilling chamber 1 and said cover is lowered into position for closing the distilling chamher. The distillate outlet 29 is opened by operating the valve 29. After the coal has been subjected for a sufficient period to the heat transfer action of the hot walls 3, the distillate outlet 29 is shut off by closing the damper 29. the cover 18 is again lifted from the top of the distilling chamber 1 and the truck is moved to position the pusher device 15 over the top of the distilling chamber. The

pusher device is constituted of a movable frame 3 having opposite worms 30 in mesh with worm gears 81 journaled in bearings supported by a fixed form 32 mounted on the truck i l. epending from the movable frame and supported thereby are pusher rods 33 corresponding in number with the retorts 10. During the operation of discharging the distilled material from the retorts 10 the doors 11 are thrown to the open position. The pusher rods are then lowered into the re torts 10 by operating the worm gears 31 and the downward movement of said pusher rods pushes out the distilled material into a hop per 35 located'below the distilling chamber and from which the distilled material may be recovered as desired. After the distilled material has been pushed out of the retorts 10, the cover 18 may be reapplied to the distilling chamber and the walls 3 again heated up for a further distilling operation.

By the invention, the distillation of carbonaceous material is carried on at a very rapid rate. The heat is applied to the same surfaces, from which it is subsequently transferred to the coal. The heating walls are of very cheap material and large numbers of them may be employed. When distilling coal, the coke produced in accordance with the present invention separates readily from the surfaces of the heating walls, the troubles arising from sticking of the coke in low temperature distillations heretofore practiced being practically eliminated.

The invention as hereinbefore set forth may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for distilling solid carbonizable materials embodying: a. distilling chamber; plurality of long narrow vertical substanti ally -1'iat and approximately parallel heat-storing plates within said chamber, said plates extending across said chamber from side to side and being spaced to provide a se ries of narrow retort chambers for the material to be distilled; a. unitary means unitary with said distilling chamber and adapted to communicate with said distilling chamber for supplying gaseous heating media in the spaces among, and in contact with the said heatstoring plates within said distilling chamber; and separate offtakes communicating with the distilling chamber for the spent heating gases and the vapors of distillation respectively; substantially as specified.

2. The method of carbonizing solid carbonizable material in a carbonizing apparat-us including a plurality of substantially parallel spaced vertical heatstoring plates which comprises concurrently storing heat, effective for the carbonization, in said. plates discontinuing the storing of heat in said plates, then. feeding the material to be carbonized into the spaces among said heat storing plates and carbonizing said material by transferring the heat previously stored in said heat storing plates directly to said material; substantially as specified.

3. The method of carbonizing solid carbonizable material in a single heating chamber which comprises admitting heating gases into said chamber and storingheat in a heat trans fer medium positioned within said chamber; then cutting off the supply of said heating gases; and thereafter feeding the material into contact with the heat transfer medium in said chamber and carbonizing said material; substantially as specified.

l. Apparatus for treating solid carbonizabie material embodying a distilling chamber; approximalely parallel. spaced hcat-ston .ing plates within said chamber; means for supplying gaseous heating media in the spaces among, and in contact with said heatstoring plates and adapted, for preheating said plates while within said distilling chamber and prior to introducing the carbonizable material therebetween; and means for removing gases of distillation from said chamber; substantially as specified.

5. The combination as defined in claim 4 in which the plates are ap iiroximately vertical and diverge slightly toward their lower ends.

6. The combination as defined in claim 4, in which horizontal suspension bars provided with means for water cooling thereof are employed from which the plates are suspended.

7. The combination as defined in claim a, in which the plate are constructed of metal.

8. The combination as defined in claim 4, in which the plates are constructed of iron.

9. The iniprovemcnt in the art of distilling solid carbonizable material which comprises, producing a carbonized residue of said material in cake form by effecting the entire volatilization by subjecting the material to con tact with, and heat stored in, a solid heatstoring member heated out of contact with the carbonizable material undergoing carbonization to a ten'iperature great enough to effect, by the heat stored therein during the Ill) heatingperiod, the carbonization of the matewith respect to the heat storing member throughout the major partof the carbonizas tion; substantially asspecified.

10. The improvement in the art of dis'-' t-illing solid carbonizable material which co1nprises, producing a carbonized residue of said material in cake form by eiiecting the entire volatilization by subjecting the material to contact with, and heat stored in, a meing solid carbonizable material which com-' prises, producing a carbonized residue of said material in cake form by effecting the entire volatilization by subjecting the material to contact with, and heat stored in, an iron solid heat-storing member heated out of contact with the carbonizable material undergoing carbonization to a temperature great enough to eiiect, by the heat stored therein during the heating period, the carbonization of the material by transfer thereto of part of its stored heat, and maintaining the material quiescent with respect to the heat-storing member throughout the major part of the carbonization; substantially as specified.

12. The improvement in the art of low temperature coking of coal which comprises, producing a coked residue of said coal in cake form by eil'ecting the entire carbonization by subjecting the coal to contact with, and heat stored in, a solid heat-storing member heated out of contact with the coal undergoing carbonization to a temperature great enough to effect, by the heat stored therein during the heating period, the carbonization of the coal by transfer thereto of part of its stored heat, and maintaining the material quiescent with respect to the heat-storing member throughout the major part of the carbonization; substantially as specified.

13. The improvement in the art of low temperature coking of coal which comprises, pro ducing a coked residue of said coal in cake form by effecting the entire carbonization by subjecting the coal to contact with, and heat stored in, a metallic solid heat-storing meme ber heated out of contact with the coal undergoing carbonization to a temperature great enough to eifect, by the heat stored therein during the heating period, the carbonization of the coal by transfer thereto of part of its stored heat, and maintaining the material quiescent with respect to the heat-storing member throughout the maj or part of the carbonization; substantially as specified.

14. The improvement in the art of low temperature coking of coal which comprises, producing a coked residue of said coal in cake form by effecting the entire carbonization by subjecting the coal to contact with, and heat stored in, an iron solid heat-storing member heated out of contact with the coal undergoing carbonization to a temperature great enough to effect, by the heat stored therein during the heating period, the carbonization of the coal by transfer thereto of part of its stored heat, and maintaining the material quiescent with respect to the heat-storing member throughout the major part of the stantially entirely by the heat stored in the solid heat-storing plates in contact with said material.

16. The improvement inthe art of carbonizing' solid carbonizable material in a series of solid heat-storing plates spaced from each other so as to receive solid carbonizable material among them, which comprises, storing heat effective for the carbonization in said plates by heating the series of plates out of contact with the material to be carbonized, discontinuing said heating of said plates, then charging the carbonizable material among and in contact with said solid heat-storing plates, maintaining the solid carbonizable material in contact therewith until carbonized by the heat stored in said plates, discharging the carbonized material, and then reheating said series of solid heat-storing plates for effecting earbonization of further material.

17. The improvement in the art of low temperature coking of coal in a series of solid heat-storing plates spaced from each other so as to receive coal among them, which comprises, storing heat effective for the coking in said plates by heating the series of plates out of contact with the coal to be coked, discontinuing said heating of said plates, then charging the coal among and in contact with said solid heat-storing plates, and coking said coal while among and in contact with said plates substantially entirely by the heat stored in the solid heat-storing plates in contact with said coal.

Incas ls 18. The improvement in the art of low temperature coking of coal in a series of solid heat-storing plates spaced from each other so as to receive coal, which comprises, storing heat effective for the coking in said plates by heating the series of plates out of contact With the coal to he coked discontinuing said heating of sa id plates then charging the coal among and in contact with said solid heatstoring' plates nutintaining the coal in contact therewith until carbonized by the heat stored in said plates, discharging: the cohed residue, and then reheating said series of solid heat-storing; plates for effecting coking of further coal.

19. The improvement in the art of carbonizing solid carbonizable n'iaterial in cake form in a series of parallel solid heat-storing plates spacec from each other so to receive solid carhonizahle material among them which comprises: storing heat effective for the carlimnization in said plates by heating the series of plates out of contact With the material to he carbonized by passage of heat ing; gr s among and in contact with said plates; discontinuing said heating of said plates; then charging; the carlmnizahle material among and in contact with said plates; carbonizing said material by maintaining it in contact with said plates until carbonized by the heat stored therein during; the heating period; and maintaining the material quiescent With respect to the heatstoring plates throughout the major part of the carbonization.

20. The improvement in the art of loW temperature coking of coal in cake form in a series of parallel solid heat-storing plates spaced from each other so as to receive coal among them which comprises: storing heat efi'ective for the coking in said. plates by heating the series of plates out of contact with the coal. to be colred by passage of heating gas among and in contact With said plates; discontinuing said hearing of said plates; then charging the coal among; and in contact With said plates; coking said coal by maintaining it in contact with said plates until coked bv the heat stored therein during the heating period; and maintaining the coal quiescent with respect to the heat-storing plates throughout the major part of the coking.

21. Apparatus for low temperature coking of solid carhonizable fuel comprising, in combination: a series of heat-storing Walls ar ranged side by side and spaced a substantial. distance from each other so as to provide between them retorting spaces for coking said solid fuel and respectively of heat-storing capacity adequate to effect loW temperature colrii of a quantity of solid carbonizable fuel icient to fill the space between it and another of said Walls adjacent thereto mainly by heat stored therein While retaining said Walls in a solid state; means for heating said Walls to store therein the heat for said coking said means being adapted to efiect said heat ing prior to introduction of said solid fuel the spaces among said Walls; means for introducing solid fuel into the retorting spaces among said Walls subsequent to the heating thereof; means for olf-flow of gases of distillation from the retorting spaces among Walls; and means for discharging coked residue from said retoring spaces among said Walls; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANZ PUENING 

